Pietro Gonzaga
Encyclopedia
Pietro di Gottardo Gonzaga (Pierre Gothard Gonzague in contemporary French sources, Пьетро Гонзага in Russian sources, March 25, 1751 – ) was an Italian theatre set designer who worked in Italy and, since 1792, in the Russian Empire
.
A talented vedutist
, master of chiaroscuro
art and trompe-l'œil optical illusion
s, Gonzaga was primarily known for his fantastic yet deceptively realistic stage sets, and summarized the theory and purpose of his art as music for the eyes : "a perspective
that changes in relation to variations in musical expression." According to Ferrero, Gonzaga was the first to promote scenic design
into an art "in its own right" and shake off the derided image of mere decoration devoid of art. With age he lost confidence in his profession and aspired, in vain, to become a practicing architect
.
, Italy
.
He trained in Venice
in 1769-1772 under Giuseppe Moretti
and Antonio Visentini
. He was influenced by the art of Canaletto
, Bibiena, Tiepolo
but most of all Piranesi
. In 1772 he joined the art firm of Galliari family.
In 1779 Gonzaga debuted as solo stage designer in Teatro alla Scala production of ballet
s by Giuseppe Canziani and Sebastiano Gallet, and stayed with this theatre until the 1792 season. Subsequently he produced over sixty sets in Milan, Genoa
, Rome
and Venice. His curtain for the La Fenice
theatre became a standard copied by numerous imitators.
Gonzaga's Italian works, along with Galliari family legacy, were published in Milan
in three installments in 1803–1821.
Gonzaga's life changed after meeting prince Nikolay Yusupov, personal envoy of Catherine II of Russia
to Italian states who was based in Turin
in 1784–1789. Yusupov returned to Saint Petersburg in 1791 to accept the role of managing entertainment of the imperial court, which placed him at the helm of state theatre companies. It is not known reliably whether Gonzaga was invited to Russia by Yusupov or by Giacomo Quarenghi
, but in 1792 Yusupov, representing the state, and Gonzaga signed a hire contract that made the latter chief decorator (stage designer) for all performances of the Saint Petersburg state theatre, with an unusually generous pay provision. Yusupov remained Gonzaga's patron until their deaths in 1831.
Gonzaga's line of scenic design at La Scala was continued by his trainee Paolo Landriani
.
s and bold chiaroscuro
that supported them (dim, diffused light of oil lamp
s of the period washed out subtle tones and called for radical, contrasting blacks and whites). According to Alexander Benois, "he painted right on floor, not like in easel
painting, but simply sketching with a thick brush, spreading paint with his foot, and this foot painting under artificial lighting completely enchanted." Contrary to recommendation of Alexander Cozens
, he sketched his drafts in lampblack, not black ink.
Gonzaga dominated the art department of imperial theatres for over thirty years, surviving three monarchs: Catherine II
, Paul I
and Alexander I
. He decorated coronation
s of Paul (1797), Alexander I (1801) and Nicholas I
(1826) while his lifelong benefactor Yusupov administered all three events. Gonzaga became a trusted consultant to heiress and later empress Maria Fyodorovna, Golitsyn
and Yusupov
families and diversified into decorating palace interiors and landscape design
. Fyodor Glinka
described Gonzaga's three-dimensional trompe-l'œil folly
in Pavlovsk Park (1815): "What is a reality and what is a dream? ... Convinced at the existence of what was before me, I kept going further and further forward. But suddenly something strange began to happen to my eyes: it was as if an invisible curtain of some sort was descending upon these objects and swallowing them from sight ... At length I began to quarrel with my own eyes and my head began to spin, and I hastened to be gone from this realms of charms and magic!"
Gonzaga summarized his experience and theory of theatrical presentation and illusion in a series of books printed in Saint Petersburg in French language
, notably the 1807 Information a mon chef and 1800 La musique des yeux et l'optique theatrale (English: Music for the Eyes). Gonzaga claimed that optical illusions are not abstract theories but correspond to "things that are easily perceived when one looks with a certain degree of attention", thus the stage set should be designed as a "perceived reality to be grasped with attention in all changing aspects."
Aging Gonzaga gradually became more and more dissatisfied with his work, that of producing ephemeral follies that rarely lasted longer than a single theatrical season. He suffered depression
, feeling that his life was spent in vain, and begged his patrons to offer him a chance to prove himself in architecture and leave a tangible trace of his talent. He applied to all available vacancies and architectural contests, and was always rejected. By 1827, when emperor Nicholas awarded him an honorary title of court architect Gonzaga was already too old for practical construction. Nestor Kukolnik
suggested that earlier, in 1810s, Gonzaga designed and built Yusupov's private theatre in Arkhangelskoye Estate
, but his attribution was later discarded.
He died in Saint Petersburg
, Russia
, in 1831.
, the National Gallery of Art
and the Art Institute of Chicago
Arkhangelskoye Estate museum stocks the original stage curtain painted by Gonzaga and four complete original stage backdrops out of sixteen he produced for Yusupov's private theatre. The museum intends to make life-sized copies for public display, as the originals are too fragile. Elektronny Arhiv, a Russian company that digitized this artwork, claimed to have built the world's largest scanner
specifically for this job (similar claims were made by other companies, i.e.).
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
A talented vedutist
Veduta
A veduta is a highly detailed, usually large-scale painting of a cityscape or some other vista....
, master of chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....
art and trompe-l'œil optical illusion
Optical illusion
An optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source...
s, Gonzaga was primarily known for his fantastic yet deceptively realistic stage sets, and summarized the theory and purpose of his art as music for the eyes : "a perspective
Perspective (visual)
Perspective, in context of vision and visual perception, is the way in which objects appear to the eye based on their spatial attributes; or their dimensions and the position of the eye relative to the objects...
that changes in relation to variations in musical expression." According to Ferrero, Gonzaga was the first to promote scenic design
Scenic design
Scenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A...
into an art "in its own right" and shake off the derided image of mere decoration devoid of art. With age he lost confidence in his profession and aspired, in vain, to become a practicing architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
.
Career in Italy
Gonzaga was born in LongaroneLongarone
Longarone is a town and comune on the banks of the Piave in the province of Belluno, in North-East Italy. It is situated 35 kilometers from Belluno....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
He trained in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1769-1772 under Giuseppe Moretti
Giuseppe Moretti
Giuseppe Moretti was an Italian émigré sculptor who became known in America for his public monuments in bronze and marble. Most notable among his works is Vulcan in Birmingham, Alabama, which is the largest cast iron statue in the world...
and Antonio Visentini
Antonio Visentini
thumb|220px|View of Piazza San Marco in Venice, by Antonio Visentini .Antonio Visentini was an Italian architectural designer, painter and engraver, known for his architectural fantasies and capricci, the author of treatises on perspective and professor at the Venetian Academy...
. He was influenced by the art of Canaletto
Canaletto
Giovanni Antonio Canal better known as Canaletto , was a Venetian painter famous for his landscapes, or vedute, of Venice. He was also an important printmaker in etching.- Early career :...
, Bibiena, Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo , also known as Gianbattista or Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice...
but most of all Piranesi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi was an Italian artist famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric "prisons" .-His Life:...
. In 1772 he joined the art firm of Galliari family.
In 1779 Gonzaga debuted as solo stage designer in Teatro alla Scala production of ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s by Giuseppe Canziani and Sebastiano Gallet, and stayed with this theatre until the 1792 season. Subsequently he produced over sixty sets in Milan, Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Venice. His curtain for the La Fenice
La Fenice
Teatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres...
theatre became a standard copied by numerous imitators.
Gonzaga's Italian works, along with Galliari family legacy, were published in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in three installments in 1803–1821.
Gonzaga's life changed after meeting prince Nikolay Yusupov, personal envoy of Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
to Italian states who was based in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in 1784–1789. Yusupov returned to Saint Petersburg in 1791 to accept the role of managing entertainment of the imperial court, which placed him at the helm of state theatre companies. It is not known reliably whether Gonzaga was invited to Russia by Yusupov or by Giacomo Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of Palladian architecture in Imperial Russia, particularly in Saint Petersburg.- Career in Italy :...
, but in 1792 Yusupov, representing the state, and Gonzaga signed a hire contract that made the latter chief decorator (stage designer) for all performances of the Saint Petersburg state theatre, with an unusually generous pay provision. Yusupov remained Gonzaga's patron until their deaths in 1831.
Gonzaga's line of scenic design at La Scala was continued by his trainee Paolo Landriani
Paolo Landriani
Paolo Landriani was an Italian painter and architect.He was born at Milan, and studied under Gonzaga. He was employed at La Scala theatre, and became reputed as a decorator. He followed especially the principles of Bibiena, Bernardin, and Galleavi. Perego and Sanquirico were his pupils...
.
Career in Russia
Gonzaga surprised Saint Petersburg audience by novel use of optical illusionOptical illusion
An optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source...
s and bold chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....
that supported them (dim, diffused light of oil lamp
Oil lamp
An oil lamp is an object used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and is continued to this day....
s of the period washed out subtle tones and called for radical, contrasting blacks and whites). According to Alexander Benois, "he painted right on floor, not like in easel
Easel
An easel is an upright support used for displaying and/or fixing something resting upon it.-Etymology:The word is an old Germanic synonym for donkey...
painting, but simply sketching with a thick brush, spreading paint with his foot, and this foot painting under artificial lighting completely enchanted
Alexander Cozens
Alexander Cozens was a British landscape painter in watercolours, a published teacher of painting, and father of John Robert Cozens.-Life:...
, he sketched his drafts in lampblack, not black ink.
Gonzaga dominated the art department of imperial theatres for over thirty years, surviving three monarchs: Catherine II
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
, Paul I
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
and Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. He decorated coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
s of Paul (1797), Alexander I (1801) and Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
(1826) while his lifelong benefactor Yusupov administered all three events. Gonzaga became a trusted consultant to heiress and later empress Maria Fyodorovna, Golitsyn
Galitzine
For Orthodox clergyman and theologian, see Alexander Golitzin.The Galitzines are one of the largest and noblest princely houses of Russia. Since the extinction of the Korecki family in the 17th century, the Golitsyns have claimed dynastic seniority in the House of Gediminas...
and Yusupov
Yusupov
Yusupov or Yusupova is a Russian surname of Tatar origin. It may refer to:*House of Yusupov, noble Russian family**Felix Yusupov , Count Sumarokov-Elston, Russian aristocrat and one of the participants in the murder of Grigori Rasputin**Irina Yusupova , Russian Princess and daughter of Count...
families and diversified into decorating palace interiors and landscape design
Landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
. Fyodor Glinka
Fyodor Glinka
Fyodor Nikolaevich Glinka was a Russian poet and author.-Biography:Glinka was born at Smolensk in 1786, and was specially educated for the army. In 1803 he obtained a commission as an officer, and two years later took part in the Austrian campaign...
described Gonzaga's three-dimensional trompe-l'œil folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
in Pavlovsk Park (1815): "What is a reality and what is a dream? ... Convinced at the existence of what was before me, I kept going further and further forward. But suddenly something strange began to happen to my eyes: it was as if an invisible curtain of some sort was descending upon these objects and swallowing them from sight ... At length I began to quarrel with my own eyes and my head began to spin, and I hastened to be gone from this realms of charms and magic!"
Gonzaga summarized his experience and theory of theatrical presentation and illusion in a series of books printed in Saint Petersburg in French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, notably the 1807 Information a mon chef and 1800 La musique des yeux et l'optique theatrale (English: Music for the Eyes). Gonzaga claimed that optical illusions are not abstract theories but correspond to "things that are easily perceived when one looks with a certain degree of attention", thus the stage set should be designed as a "perceived reality to be grasped with attention in all changing aspects."
Aging Gonzaga gradually became more and more dissatisfied with his work, that of producing ephemeral follies that rarely lasted longer than a single theatrical season. He suffered depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, feeling that his life was spent in vain, and begged his patrons to offer him a chance to prove himself in architecture and leave a tangible trace of his talent. He applied to all available vacancies and architectural contests, and was always rejected. By 1827, when emperor Nicholas awarded him an honorary title of court architect Gonzaga was already too old for practical construction. Nestor Kukolnik
Nestor Kukolnik
Nestor Vasilievich Kukolnik was a Russian playwright and prose writer of Carpatho-Rusyn origin. Immensely popular during the early part of his career, his works were subsequently dismissed as sententious and sentimental. Today, he is best remembered for having contributed to the libretto of the...
suggested that earlier, in 1810s, Gonzaga designed and built Yusupov's private theatre in Arkhangelskoye Estate
Arkhangelskoye Estate
Arkhangelskoye is a historical estate located around 20 kilometers to the west from Moscow. In 1703–1810 Arkhangelskoye belonged to Galitzine, and from 1810–1917, to the Yusupov family. In 1917 the Yusupovs' property was nationalized by the Bolsheviks...
, but his attribution was later discarded.
He died in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, in 1831.
Works
Graphic artwork by Gonzaga are preserved in the Hermitage MuseumHermitage Museum
The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
, the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
and the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
Arkhangelskoye Estate museum stocks the original stage curtain painted by Gonzaga and four complete original stage backdrops out of sixteen he produced for Yusupov's private theatre. The museum intends to make life-sized copies for public display, as the originals are too fragile. Elektronny Arhiv, a Russian company that digitized this artwork, claimed to have built the world's largest scanner
Image scanner
In computing, an image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. Common examples found in offices are variations of the desktop scanner where the document is placed on a glass...
specifically for this job (similar claims were made by other companies, i.e.).
Sources
- Ferrero, Mercedes Vialle (2002). Stage and set, in: